Internal combustion engines are widely used for driving a variety of vehicles. Internal combustion engines come in a variety of configurations, which are typically aptly named for the particular orientation or arrangement of the reciprocating pistons and cylinders in the engines. One example of an internal combustion engine is a “V” type engine, in which the “V” refers to the arrangement of the cylinders in rows that are angled relative to each other to form a V shape. Another type of internal combustion engine that is most relevant to the invention is a barrel-type engine.
Barrel engines typically include a plurality of cylinders and pistons arranged in the form of a “barrel” in which their axes are parallel to each other and arranged along a circle concentric with the power output shaft. Power is transmitted from the reciprocating pistons to a cam plate via a sliding or roller interface. The cam plate's nominal plane is perpendicular to the piston axes and attached to the output shaft. One variation, commonly referred to as a double-ended barrel engine, typically uses a double-ended piston construction and utilizes piston and rod assemblies that have power cylinders at each end. Another configuration of the barrel engine concept, commonly known as a single-ended barrel engine, only uses power cylinders at one end.